Clothes-boiler.



No. 650,394. Patented May 29, I900. E. E. HUNTER.

CLOTHES BOILER.

(Application filed Aug. 22, 1899.)

(No Model.)

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Q I -10 J95 m 8 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

ELLA E. HUNTER, OF ROCKPORT, MISSOURI.

CLOTHES-BOILER SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters latent No. 650,394, dated May 29, 1900.

Application filed August 22, 1899. Serial No. 728,097. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ELLA E. HUNTER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Rockport, in the county of Atchison and State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful Clothes-Boiler, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in clothes-boilers, and has for its object the production of a simple, durable, and inexpensive boiler of this class provided with an openwork clothes-receptacle raised and lowered by simple mechanism carried upon the exterior of the boiler and calculated to facilitate the removal and draining of the clothes.

Referring to the drawings, Figure '1 is a perspective View of my device complete, showing the clothes-cage slightly elevated. Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal sectional view through the subject-matter of Fig. 1, the cage being shown in its lowered position; and Fig. 3 is a top plan View.

Referring to the numerals on the drawings, l'indicates a washboiler of usual form provided with a head 2 at its top and with diametrical handles 3.

4 indicates an extension provided with a bead 5 and permanently fitted within the top of the boiler. This extension is formed of two strips of metal which overlap at their op posite ends to form pulley-housings 6 at the opposite ends of the .boiler. housings are mounted pulleys '7, over which is passed a cable 8, extending inside of the boiler and looped under the clothes receptacle or cage 9. The opposite ends of the cable are connected to and designed to be wound upon a pair of drums 10, carried at the opposite ends of the shaft 11, having a terminal crank 12 and journaled in an elongated bear ing 13. This bearingis preferably constructed of sheet metal, one edge of which is extended under the head 5 of the boiler extension 4. Fixed upon the shaft 11, intermediate of one of the drums 10 and the end of this elongated bearing, is a ratchet-disk 14, designed to be engaged by a pawl 15, having an elongated handle 16, the weight of which is sufficient to retain the pawl in engagement with the teeth of the ratchet. Various forms of cage might be employed; but I prefer to provide a pair of bottom plates 17 and 18,

WVithin these having corresponding drain-openings 19, and between the edges of which are clamped the ends of a series of body-wires, each pair of which is constructed of a single piece of wire doubled back at the upper edge of the cage, as illustrated. The cage-body thus formed is braced by a pair of sheet-metal braces 20 and 21, pierced along their medial lines by the body-wires and doubled longitudinally to clamp the latter.

In operation, when the clothes contained in the receptacle or cage have been sufficiently boiled, the loop of the cable Sis drawn up by the rotation of the crank 12,which rotates the drums 10 and causes the cable to be wound thereon. In this manner the cage will be elevated from the boiler, simultaneously draining the clothes and permitting them to be readily removed, after which it is simply necessary for the operator to raise the handle 16 of the pawl 15, which latter being disengaged from the ratchet will permit the cage to gravitate back to the bottom of the boiler.

By reason of the cable or flexible connec tion 8 passing loosely beneath the cage it is possible to entirely remove the latter from the body of the boiler without disconnecting the cable or any ofthe other parts of the device.

WVhat I claim is- 1. In a clothes-boiler, a boiler-body, a removable cage located therein, opposite pulleys mounted upon the body, drums located adjacent to the pulleys, a flexible connection having its opposite ends applied to the respective drums, its intermediate portion located within the boiler and formed into a loop embracing opposite sides of the cage and passing loosely beneath the latter, and means for operating the drums.

2. In a clothes-boiler, a boiler-body, a shaft located exteriorly thereof, and having a bearing formed of sheet metal secured to the body, the ends of the shaft projecting at opposite ends of the bearing, drums provided upon the opposite projecting ends of the shaft, a crank at one end of the latter, a ratchetwheel on the shaft, a pawl carried by the body and cooperating with the ratchet-wheel, a cage located within the body, and a flexible connection passing loosely beneath the cage, and havingits opposite ends connected to the respective drums, substantially in the mana pawl in engagement with said ratchet and ner shown and described. having a Weighted handle and means for ac 3. The combination with a boiler provided tuating the shaft, substantially as specified. with openings having lapped edges, and pul- In testimony that I claim the foregoing as 5 leys mounted in the openings, of a cage withmy own I have hereto affixed my signature in I 5 in the boiler, a cable passed under the cage the presence of two witnesses.

through the openings and over the pulleys, a ELLA E. HUNTER. shaft journaled upon the boiler, drums carlVitnesses: ried by the shaft and connected with the ends S. A. GERMAN,

10 of the cable, a ratchet carried by said shaft, JAMES F. GORE. 

